Foot extension bracket for ladders



' April 26, 1938.

W. H. MARVIN FOOT EXTENSION BRACKET FOR LADDERS Filed Jan. 11, 1937 :J William 17 fl/arrz'zz,

Patented Apr. 26, 1938 H 2,115,395

UNITED STATES 'ATET QFFIQE 2,115,395 FOOT EXTENSION BRACKET FOR LADDERS William H. Marvin, hogans port, Ind. Application January 11, 1937, .Serial No. 120,081

3 Claims; (01. 228 -63) V This invention is directed to a foot extension The outer wall 3 of the bracket body is formed bracket for ladders, whereby the ladder may be with alongitudin'al slot 4, extending from a point adjustably accommodated to irregular ground above the bottom" toa point short of the upper supports, to thereby maintain a firm upright staend. The inner wall 5 of the body is formed with 5 bility irrespective of such irregularity. a corresponding slot 6, which, however, opens =5 A primary object of the invention is the provithrough the upper edge of such wall, for a purpose sion of a ladder foot extension bracket designed to be later referred to. to be removably secured to the foot of one 'or the The'inner-wall 5 of the body on each side of the other ladder uprights, with the extension bracket slot fiis'formed with a series of regularly spaced longitudinally adjustable lengthwise of and relaopenings 1, with such openings thus presenting tive to the upright, to thereby temporarily ina pair of openings aligned transversely of the crease the length of such upright to a degree to bracket throughout the extent of the series of compensate for any irregularity on the surface openings. The openings may be regularly spaced on which the ladder is resting. apart, say one inch or other distance, and this A further object of the invention is the provispacing constitutes and defines the increments 15 sion of means whereby the adjustability of the of bracket adjustment. bracket provides for definite increments of A bolt 8, headed at one end at 9 and threaded bracket movement in each adjustment, and furat the opposite end at In, extends through a rigid ther provides and insures a positive lock for the U-shaped clip H with the head 9 rigidly secured bracket relative to the ladder upright in any posithereto, the clip overlying the outer wall 3 of '2 tion of adjustment. the bracket and partly embracing the sides A further object of the invention is the provithereof. The bolt passes through the slot 4, an sion of a bracket of the type defined; wherein the opening l2 in the ladder upright, the slot 6 in bracket proper and its locking means are held to the bracket wall 5, and through a second rigid the ladder through the provision of a single bolt, U-shaped clip l3, which overlies the inner wall 5 5 whereby the bracket as a whole may be readily of the bracket and partly embraces the sides and conveniently applied, removed, or transferred thereof.

with slight labor or loss of time. The clip I3 is formed or provided on its inner The invention is illustrated in the accompanysurface, that is the surface next to the wall 5 of ing drawing, in which:-- the bracket, with projections l4, disposed and 30 Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a ladder with the sized to snugly engage any pair of openings 1 in bracket applied to one of the uprights and adthe inner wall 5 of the bracket. A spring I5 is justed to lengthen such upright to compensate arranged on the bolt between the clip, l3 and for a depression in the supporting surface. bracket wall 5, this spring serving to move the Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken elevation of the clip, when the latter is free of holding stress, to 35 ladder, with the bracket in adjusted position, the withdraw the projections l3 from the openings 1 bracket and ladder upright being shown partly in the bracket wall. A wing nut IS on the in section to illustrate the connecting means. threaded end of the bolt 8 will, when adjusted Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of a part of the engage the clip and move the same toward the ladder upright and applied and adjusted bracket, wall 5 of the bracket against the tension of the 40 the view being taken on the indicated line 33 spring l5, seating the projections I4 in the par- 7 of Fig. 2. ticular pair of openings 1 which may be aligned Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the ladder therewith. This positively locks the bracket to upright the bracket, and bracket-securing means, the ladder upright. If preferred, and as shown the line of section being indicated at 4-4 in in Fig. 4, the projections l4 may be of such 45 Fig. 3. lengths as to be forced into the uprights 2 in the The improved foot extension bracket comprises initial application of the lock, thus adding to the a hollow body I, preferably of thin rigid metal, holding effect, or, as obvious openings may be open at the top and closed at the bottom. The forced in the uprights, as at I, Fig. 4, to receive 5 body has an interior shape and dimension correthe ends of the projections I4. spending to that of the upright 2, the body being With the brackets applied to the foot of the thus designed to fit the foot of the ladder upupright 2, the wing-nut loosened, the bracket may right in a manner to prevent undue relative play, obviously be adjusted lengthwise the upright to while permitting relative longitudinal movement increase the length of the latter to compensate at will. for any ground irregularity. The tightening of the 55 pair of openings in alignment withsuch'projections following adjustment of the bracket. If during this adjustment of the bracket a rung If! of the'ladd'er is met, such rung will find'its way into the open ended s1ot16 of the bracketwall 5, and r o 7 w in a coil spring encirclesthe bolt betweenthe'upthis interference with complete adjustment of. the bracket is avoided; 7

While the bolt 8 may engage the wall of opening I2 with more or less friction, the spring [5 due to its reaction on nut l6'through clip [3 creates a greater tendency for the bolt'to turn in the opening when turning the nut on thej'bolt and such possible turning of the bolt is positively precludedby the cli'pl I which is rigidly secured to the bolt and embraces the/sides of the bracket i. Furthermore, the spring l5 not only functions to move the clip 13 away from-the bracket' but' further functions to maintain the clip ll in engagement, with the oppositeface of the ,bracket whereby the bracket side engaging portions a1;-

Ways preclude turning of the bolt. a ,With the bracket applied to a; straightladder section of the type illustrated, the application body beingformed with successivepairs of open-I of the/compensation may's'erveon either side by simplyrevers'ing the ladder. Q If application is.

to an extension ladderjboth foot sections will be 'formed with'the bolt opening ligand the bracket" 7 v may be transferred fromone to the otheras conditions' require. 7 l 7 a The bracket as a whole 'is of slight projection beyond the surface of theupright andmay remain'as a part oftheladder for use as required,

.,or used as a ladder attachment to:be removed 'when not'required.

: Having: thus describedithe invention, what is claimed asonew, is:--

wprising 'a hollow bodyforslidable engagement 1. A foot extension bracket for laddersfcom over the end of aladder upright, one wall of the ings, a U-shaped clip engaging the opposite wall and sides of the body, a bolt extending through said clip, body a'ndupright. a second U-shaped a clip into engagement with the body.

the body.

-clip receiving 'the bolt and movable lengthwise thereof to and from the first namedwall of the body, a pair of projections on the second named a nut on the bolt for moving the second named.

2. A construction as defined inclaim 1, wherei 1 right and second named clip for maintaining the 'clip in engagement with the nut as same is turned outron the bolt for positive retraction of with the openings and. for maintaining the first named clip in engagementwith thebody.

.3. In combination with a ladder upright proupright, the hollow body having a closed longitudinai slot, in the outer facewall thereof and an openended longitudinal slot in the innerface'wall ;the projections from interlocking engagement thereof, :the body having longitudinally1 spa'cedopenings oneach side of: the open endedrslot ar' ranged in transverse pairs for selective alinement of anyone pair with the pair of; openings inIthe upright, a bolt extending through the uprightand the slots in opposite face walls of the body a.

body;*a'second U-sha'ped clip receiving the bolt and movablelengthwise thereof toward and from U-'shaped*clip rigid withgthe. boltand engaging V the outer facewall and opposite edges of the Q theiinner'face of the,body, the second named clip 7 having a pair of. projections" for engagement within the pair of openi'ngsin the upright and tainingthe first named clip engagement'with WIL IAM H.

V: a any one of the pairs of openings in' the body,. a o Wing nut threaded on; the bolt for 'holdingthe U-shaped'clips in engagement with the. bodyj'in embracing relation thereto; 1 and a coil spring en'-. circlingthe bolt between the upright and second w named clip for moving. the latter awaytfromi the T body upon unthreading of the nut-and ror'mam- V 

